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American Airlines and US Airways are talking to banks about branded credit cards after the two carriers complete their proposed merger. Currently, Barclays issues credit cards for US Airways, while Citigroup issues credit cards for American Airlines. "As we bring two strong currencies together, we'll have one, stronger currency," said Andrew Nocella, US Airways senior vice president for marketing and planning.

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Airports in Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Charlotte, N.C., filed an "amicus curiae" or "friend of the court" brief on Monday in support of the proposed American Airlines-US Airways merger. "As set forth below, amicus all operate international hub airports hosting flights by American and/or US Airways," the airports said in the filing. The brief also commented that the merged airlines would provide more travel options for passengers.

The European Union issued a report this week on its approval of the American Airlines-US Airways merger. The 71-page report concluded the merger would not harm competition. EU regulators accepted a surrender of a takeoff slot from AA-US Airways at London Heathrow airport to allow another carrier to begin service on the London-Philadelphia route.

American Airlines and US Airways prevailed upon the court for an earlier trial date than the March date requested by the Justice Department. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly set a trial date of Nov. 25 for the antitrust suit against the proposed merger. In a joint statement, US Airways and American said, "We are confident in our case and eager to get to court. We are pleased the court has set a schedule that will enable us to resolve this litigation in a reasonable timeframe." A Sept. 30 meeting is set for lawyers for the airlines and the DOJ to talk over remaining issues.

American Airlines, US Airways and the Justice Department all appear open to the idea of a settlement on the proposed merger. In a joint court filing, the carriers said they had tried to settle the case before the complaint was filed "and continue to believe there ought to be a realistic possibility of settlement."

The Transport Workers Union and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers have agreed on how to calculate seniority for their workers after the American Airlines-US Airways merger. "This agreement was reached ahead of the deadline included in the TWU's Memorandum of Understanding, and represents significant progress as we continue to move toward closing our merger with US Airways," American spokesman Paul Flaningan said.